Flood-gate



(No Model.)

' R. A. BARNES.

FLOGD GATE.

No. 332,039. Patented Deo. 8, 1885.

INVEJVZOR MMM 5 I TJVESSES J .dttorney n, Pneus. mwmwgf-pw. wnmngm me.

UNITED. STATES ATnNT OFFICE.

ROBERT AUGUSTUS BARNES, OF BERRY, ILLINOIS.

FLOOD-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,039, dated December 8, 1885.

Application filed July 20, 1885. Serial No. 172,133. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. BARNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berry, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois` have invented a new and useful Improvement in FloodGates, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in flood-gates; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, Whereby a flood-gate is produced that will tilt when the water rises, to allow the drift to pass harmlessly over the gate, and resume its normal vertical position when the water falls to its usual level.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a flood-gate embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same on the line x a: of Fig. 1.

A represents the posts which are secured in the bed ot' the stream. To the lower ends of these posts are mortised horizontal longi tudinally-extending base-blocks B, to which the posts are braced by rods C. Through the ends of the baseeblocks pass pins or bolts D, that extend down, and are embedded in the bottom of the stream, or, preferably, in a stone foundation, so as to secure the posts rmly in place against the danger of being swept away by a rise of the stream. Posts E are secured on the opposite banks of the stream, and connecting the upper ends of the posts are rails F, which are secured to the posts on the down stream sides thereof, and have their upper edges Hush with the topsI of the posts.

G represents the gates, any required number of which may be used, according to the width of the stream. These gates are each composed of the pickets a, the tiebeam b, to which they are secured near their lower ends, and the lower tie or weight beam c,secured to the lower ends of the pickets beneath the beam b. rIhese gates are hinged to the posts posts near the upper ends thereof. The distance from the hinge-staples to the tops of the posts corresponds exactly with the thickness of the tie-beams b. Vhen the stream is at its normal height, the gates are vertical, being held in this position by the weightA of the beams b and c, and the pickets thus effectually turn stock. When thestream rises, the gates are tilted by the force of the water to a horizontal position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the pickets rest on the upper sides of the rails F and allow drift to float harinlessly over them. IVhen in this position, it w-ill be seen that the beams b and c are turned edgwise to the current, so as to offer but slight impediment thereto, and at the same time they serve securely to brace the gates under the strain. The top sides of the beams b when the gates are thus tilted bear directly against the upstream sides of the posts, thereby relieving the hinge-staples from all strain and obviating all danger of the gates being torn from the posts. Vhen the liood subsides, the gates reassume their normal vertical position by the gravity of the beams b and c. Chains H connect the weightbars to the posts, as shown at Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- In a Hood-gate, the combination ofthe posts connected at their upper ends by the rails F, with the gates composed of the pickets and the tie-beams, the latter being hinged horizontally to the upstream sides of the posts at a distance from the tops of the posts corresponding to the thickness of the beams, whereby the gates may be tilted to a horizontal position, with the pickets resting on the upper sides ot' rails F and the tiebeams bearing against the upper ends of the posts to relieve the hinges of strain,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afXed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT AUGUSTUS BARNES.

lVitnesses: THOMAS R. GARY,

CHARLEs STAFFORD. 

